Tobacco & Cancer Facts

It is common knowledge that smoking and chewing tobacco causes cancer. According to the website Tobacco Facts, more than five million children alive today will die prematurely from their use of tobacco throughout their lives. Despite large, national anti-smoking campaigns (like laws limiting cigarette advertising, high cigarette taxes and the Great American Smokeout), one out of five Americans still smoke cigarettes, according to the American Cancer Society. Tobacco is highly addictive and extremely hazardous to your health.

Physical Effects

• Tobacco smoking and chewing causes cancer, heart disease, emphysema and premature aging. Tobacco smoking is implicated in 15 different kinds of cancer and damages every organ in the body, according to the ACS. Many of the chemicals in tobacco damage the DNA of cells in the body. These damaged cells can lose their ability to control their own reproduction, becoming cancer cells. Cancer cells reproduce, or metastasize, without stopping. These cells can spread to the lymph nodes and various body organs, and can be fatal.

Types of Cancer

• According to the website Green Facts, the types of cancer caused by tobacco use include lung cancer, oral cancer (including pharynx, larynx and esophagus), pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer and kidney cancer. Tobacco use also increases the risk of cancers of the sinuses, stomach, liver, cervix, nasal cavities, uterus and bone marrow.

Cancer Treatments

• Cancer treatment depends on overall health, the type and stage of cancer, and patient preferences. Typical cancer treatments include surgery to remove tumors, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy and clinical trials, according to the Mayo Clinic. In some cases, patients choose not to undergo treatment; for example, they may decide the side-effects outweigh the benefits, or the cancer might be too advanced to respond well to treatment.

Chemicals

• According to Tobacco Facts, there are 4,000 chemicals in tobacco, 100 of which are identified poisons, and 63 of which are known to cause cancer. Nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco, is a vasoconstrictor (it causes the blood vessels to constrict) and a class one insecticide. Other chemical poisons in tobacco include arsenic, cyanide, formaldehyde and ammonia bromide (also used in toilet cleaners).

Risk

• The risk of getting cancer from using tobacco products depends on a number of factors. These factors include age at time of beginning use, age at time of quitting (if you have quit), overall health, family history of cancer, strength of your immune system, and history of viral infections, according to the Mayo Clinic. Certain viral infections appear to make people more susceptible to developing tobacco-related cancer, though there have not been any double-blind clinical studies.